Previous Next

Got up this morning and headed up to Reiter Ponds to fish for Steelhead. I got onto the river at about 7:30am, fishing from the hatchery (north) side of the river about 20 yards upstream from where the hatchery creek flows in. The water still had some green color to it, but had been dropping pretty consistently for about a week and by this point had probably 5' or 6' of visibility. Given the clearer conditions I figured I would start off with some light colors and tied on a 1/4oz jig with a pink head, two orange beads on the hook shank and white marabou feathers. I floated the jig under a bobber with about 3 & 1/2 to 4' of line. Working in water that was probably between 4' and 6' deep (and strewn with large boulders here and there, for those who aren't familiar with Reiter Ponds) I hooked into a beautiful and bright 11#, 32" hatchery hen within maybe a dozen casts from starting. Given the size of the fish, she really didn't have much fight at all, but still managed to bend the hook on my jig. Regardless of the quality of the fight, I was just happy to get her to shore and on the stringer, since she was my first Steelhead ever, not to mention being an 11# chromer! I landed that fish right around 7:50am, and within the next hour or so I saw two more fish brought in just downstream of me, as well as one more hook up just upstream of me. After about 9am the bite seemed to die off and I left at around 10am.

A quick side note, on Monday 12/23 I was also fishing Reiter Ponds, but from the Highway 2 side of the river. I parked in the gravel pullout and left my car at about 7:30am. When I returned at about 9:00am the front passenger side window had been smashed and a few things had been taken. I am always careful to not leave valuables in sight when I leave my car, but even doing that wasn't enough of a deterrent. Just a word to the wise for those fishing the area. Unfortunately that is what we have to deal with. Luckily, I had all of my more valuable fishing gear with me down at the river when it happened.

I am giving today (12/30) a five because I caught my first Steelhead, it was a chrome 11# fish, it didn't take all day to do, and the guys around me did fairly well too (as far as Steelheading goes, it seems).

dadamunky

12/30/2013 8:55:00 PM

Awesome!

Realfisherman

12/30/2013 8:56:00 PM

Nice job. Congrats great looking fish.

goodtimesfishing

12/30/2013 9:14:00 PM

Great job! Great looking steel. Congrats on your first it won't be your last!

tele_maniac

12/30/2013 9:19:00 PM

Beautiful fish! Thanks for the report and pictures. Sorry to hear about your car window.

kyamukun

12/30/2013 9:23:00 PM

wow, THAT is a beautiful fish! congrats! sorry to hear about your car, but hope the only loss was the smashed window. it's a shame that we have to worry about that stuff when trying to enjoy the outdoors. one of the reasons my wife doesn't like it when I fish alone.

BentRod

12/30/2013 10:18:00 PM

Great report and great fish! Congrats.

salmonbarry

12/30/2013 11:42:00 PM

Beauty!!

Anonymous

12/31/2013 6:28:00 AM

Nice Fish! Tweekers who smash windows should be shot. Never leave home with out your protection.

iwilfish

12/31/2013 10:40:00 AM

THAT is a really nice steelhead for a first or anytime. Sorry about your car.

mizm05

12/31/2013 11:07:00 AM

Congrats! You were one of the lucky few yesterday. Me and 2 other board members were also out there yesterday and as a whole, it was pretty dead other than the 3 or 4 we heard of at Reiter, only 1 of which we actually saw. We were the third car into Reiter that morning and fished up and down the hatchery side until 9am. I think I came by and saw your fish. I'm stoked for you...almost everyone else that day didn't have any luck from what we saw and the others we talked to throughout the day. It's slooooooow. Need another blowout or two to move more fish up.

bkawafishin

12/31/2013 2:31:00 PM

Nice fish and report. Thank you.

jd39

12/31/2013 2:37:00 PM

Awesome, nice fish!

AJFishdude

1/1/2014 4:29:00 PM

Thanks for the comments everyone. I look forward to getting back out and trying to get a few more before the season is over.

Leave a Comment:

Login

Flag

×

Why is this comment inappropriate?

Close Submit

Delete this comment? Provide reason.

No Yes

Edit

×

Cancel Save